Device for cutting glass and removing coating therefrom

ABSTRACT

On a carriage of a device for dividing glass sheets into patterns, there are a cutting tool to which a pivoting drive is assigned, and a stripping tool for removing a coating from a glass sheet with a stripping disk. The stripping tool is mounted on the carriage and pivots around an axis perpendicular to the glass sheet. When the tool is being used to strip a glass sheet along the division outline, therefore in the area on either side of scoring lines which have been or are to be produced in a glass sheet, the stripping disk is placed on the surface of the glass sheet and the tool is pivoted around the axis which is normal to the glass sheet using the pivoting drive for the cutting tool in order to correctly align the stripping disk.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a device with the features of the introductorypart of claim 1.

2. Description of the Related Art

Devices are known with which glass sheets which are provided with acoating (for example a metal coating) are divided and worked in the edgearea of the resulting patterns for the purpose of removing the coating.Reference is made by way of example to EP 0 517 176 A and U.S. Pat. No.5,449,312 A (=EP 0 603 152 A). With these devices glass sheets can beabrasively worked along the division outline on either side of thecutting lines which are to be produced by working with a stripping tool,for example a grinding wheel (with a rubber-like consistency) such that(only) the coating is removed. After removing the coating on either sideof the division outline, the glass sheet is scored (“cut”) using acutting wheel, whereupon conventionally the glass pane is then dividedalong the scoring lines which have been produced, by breaking,especially on breaking tables.

Removal of a coating from glass sheets is especially important when theglass sheets or patterns produced from them are to be used for producinginsulating glass, since the cements (generally butyl rubber) which jointhe spacer frames to the glass sheets in insulating glass and which sealthe interior against the environment, are poorly compatible with metalcoatings.

The problem in the known device is that so-called shaped panes,therefore glass patterns with other than only straight outlines, cannotbe worked or can only be worked awkwardly in the sense of stripping andcutting (scoring).

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a device with a simplestructure, with which glass sheets with any outline shape, thereforeso-called shaped panes, can be stripped and cut.

Since a stripping tool is also mounted in the device as claimed in theinvention on a carriage which can travel on the beam of a cutting unit(glass cutting table) in addition to the cutting tool (cutting wheel),altogether a light structure results and for example the double beamknown from U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,312 for the cutting bridge is no longernecessary.

It is furthermore advantageous that the pivoting drive for the strippingtool can be coupled to the pivoting drive for the cutting tool ifstripping is to be done in order to correctly align the stripping diskof the tool during stripping by pivoting on either side of the scoringlines to be produced, therefore with the axis aligned normally to thescoring line. In this way, in the invention a separate pivoting drivefor the stripping tool is unnecessary, and moreover there arises theadvantage that the same drive can be used selectively for the cuttingtool (during scratching) and for the stripping tool (during stripping).Nor is it necessary anymore to prepare a separate program for thestripping tool (grinding wheel) for its movement along the divisionoutline, since the stripping tool with its stripping disk (grindingwheel) can be moved by pivoting, combined with the movements of thecarriage along the cutting bridge and the motion of the cutting bridgealong the glass cutting table following the division outline, for whichthe program which was prepared beforehand can be used for dividing theglass sheet into patterns.

The coupling of the stripping tool with the pivoting drive for thecutting tool can take place in different ways. One preferred measure isto selectively couple the stripping tool to a gear wheel which isconnected to a shaft which carries the cutting tool and to which a drivemotor with a pinion is assigned. This can take place by there likewisebeing a pinion on the shaft via which the stripping tool is pivotallysupported and by the pinion being caused to engage the gear wheel of thecutting tool as necessary.

For this there are various possibilities, for example the entire cuttingtool with its shaft is lowered or raised in order to cause the pinion toengage the gear wheel, its preferably proceeding such that the pinion onthe pivoting shaft of the stripping tool engages the gear wheel of thecutting tool when the stripping tool has been placed on the glass sheetfor a stripping process.

Another possibility consists in supporting the pinion on the pivotingshaft of the stripping tool with the capacity to move, howeverrotationally coupled so that as necessary the pivoting means for thestripping tool can be coupled to the pivoting means (gear wheel) for thescoring tool by the pinion being pushed along the shaft.

An embodiment of the invention is also considered in which on the shaftof the motor for turning the cutting tool there is another pinion whichmeshes with a sprocket wheel which is assigned to the stripping tool. Inthis embodiment it is preferred that the stripping tool when not in usecan be raised by a movement perpendicular to the plane of the glass paneoff the latter.

In this embodiment there is the advantage that the pinion on the shaftof the motor for adjusting (turning) the cutting tool can remaincontinuously engaged with the two sprocket wheels. If the stripping toolis not needed, the cutting wheel is raised off the glass pane. Normallyit is not disruptive if the grinding wheel (stripping disk) which hasbeen raised off the glass pane is pivoted when the glass pane is beingscored.

If for example for reasons of space or construction the area aroundwhich the stripping tool can be pivoted is limited, in this embodimentthere can be a detachable coupling between the sprocket wheel which isassigned to the stripping tool, and the shaft which can turn around anaxis which is perpendicular to the glass sheet and which bears thegrinding wheel. If the cutting wheel can continue to pivot, simply thecoupling between the shaft which bears the stripping tool and thesprocket wheel which is assigned to the stripping tool is released.

Here it can be provided that the coupling between the sprocket wheel andthe shaft which carries the stripping tool can only be engaged in orderto produce a rotationally strong connection between the sprocket wheeland the shaft when the stripping disk of the stripping tool is alignedin a certain alignment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Other details and features and advantages of the device as claimed inthe invention for cutting and stripping of glass sheets will becomeclear from the following description of two exemplary embodiments whichare shown schematically in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows in a side view in part a device for cutting and strippingof glass sheets,

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment in a view similar to FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the device as claimed in theinvention for cutting and stripping of glass sheets, and

FIG. 4 shows an alignment of axes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The device as claimed in the invention is provided on a cutting table,of which FIG. 1 shows only the support top 1 for a glass sheet 2. Thecutting bridge 3 which is provided aligned transversely to thelengthwise side of the cutting table is guided to be able to move alongthe lengthwise sides of the cutting table. On the cutting bridge 3 acarriage 4 is guided which can be moved in the direction of the doublearrow 5 via a drive which is not detailed. For example, the carriage 4is guided on the cutting bridge 3 via round rods 6.

A cutting tool 10 and a stripping tool 50 are mounted on the horizontalplate 7 of the carriage 4 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

The cutting tool 10 has a cutting wheel 12 which can be placed on thetop of the glass sheet 2 or raised off it via its holding device 13 by ahydraulic motor 14 in the direction of the double arrow 15.

The cutting wheel 12 can additionally be pivoted around an axis 17 whichis normal to the glass pane 2, as is symbolized by the ring arrow 16.This pivoting is necessary to align the cutting wheel 12 such that it iscorrectly aligned for execution of scoring (X cuts, Y cuts, etc.). Inaddition, the cutting wheel 12 can be continuously pivoted when scoringlines must be produced for cuts which are not straight, therefore cutsof any curvature (for “shaped panes”).

For pivoting of the cutting wheel 12 a gear wheel 20 is connected to itsshaft 18. A pinion 21 which is driven by a motor 22 meshes with the gearwheel 20 in order to correctly align the cutting wheel 12 via its shaft18 for the respective scoring process. Thus, using the cutting wheel 12a glass sheet 2 which has been fixed in position on the top 1 of a glasscutting table can be scored according to a precomputed division patternwhich has been optimized for example by a program, in addition toconventional cuts, such as X cuts (in the direction transversely to thelengthwise extension of the glass sheet) and Y cuts (in the lengthwisedirection of the glass sheet), curved cuts for producing shaped panescan also be made. All these movements of the cutting wheel 12 take placeby combined movements of the cutting bridge 3 along the top 1 of theglass cutting table, of the carriage 4 along the cutting bridge 3 and bypivoting the cutting wheel 12 around the axis 17.

A stripping tool 50 is mounted on the carriage 4 in the illustratedexemplary embodiment. This stripping tool 50 is located on a plate 51which is attached to the horizontal part 7 of the carriage 4. Thestripping tool 50 is provided with a shaft 52 which is pivotally mountedin the plate 51. The shaft 52 can be adjusted in the direction of thedouble arrow 54 by a hydraulic motor 53 which like the hydraulic motor14 is supported for the cutting tool 10 on the carriage 4. A pinion 55sits on the shaft 52.

An arm 56 which bears the actual stripping tool is connected to theshaft 52. The actual stripping tool in this embodiment consists of amotor 57 with a flange-mounted angular gear 58 and a stripping disk 59(“grinding wheel”) which turns around a horizontal axis 60 when it isdriven by the motor 57. The stripping disk 59 is for example a disk withan eraser rubber-like consistency which can be provided with an abrasivematerial in order to remove a (metal) coating which is provided on theglass sheet 2 (on its top) essentially without abrasively working theglass sheet 2 itself.

In order to remove a coating from a glass sheet 2 along a precomputeddivision outline on either side of scoring lines still to be produced,the stripping disk 59 of the stripping tool 50 is placed on the glasssheet 2 with the cutting tool 10 raised off the glass plate 2 by thehydraulic motor 53 being actuated accordingly. This motion also movesthe pinion 55 down so that it engages the gear wheel 20 for the pivotingdrive of the cutting wheel 12. Thus, the stripping tool 50 can bepivoted by the servomotor 22 around a vertical axis 61, as is symbolizedby the ring arrow 62.

If stripping takes place using the stripping disk 59 of the strippingtool 50 along the entire division outline, therefore a (metal) coatinghas been removed from the glass sheet 2 by abrasive working, thestripping disk 59 of the stripping tool 50 is lifted off the glass sheet2. Then the scoring lines are produced according to the division outlineusing the cutting tool 10 and the glass sheet 2 is conventionallydivided into patterns by breaking as the process continues.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the shaft 52 to which the arm 56 forthe motor 57, the angular gear 58 and the stripping disk 59 is attachedis supported, not to be vertically adjustable in the plate 51, butpivotable only around the axis 61. In this embodiment the pinion 55 canbe moved in the direction of the axis 61 by a servomotor 70 which issupported on the carriage 4, as symbolized in FIG. 2 (arrow 71), inorder to alternately engage the pinion to the gear wheel 20 or todisengage it. To do this, the pinion 55 can be moved in the axialdirection relative to the shaft 52, but is rotationally coupled to theshaft 52. The connection of the pinion 55 to the piston of theservomotor 70 is made such that the pinion 55 can turn freely relativeto the piston rod of the servomotor 70.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the assembly with the stripping disk59 is supported to be adjustable in the direction of the double arrow54, therefore normally to the glass sheet 2 on the arm 56 using a linearmotor 75 in order to alternately place the stripping disk 59 on theglass sheet 2 or to lift it off.

Fundamentally an embodiment is also conceivable in which the strippingtool 50 remains permanently coupled to the pivoting drive 20, 21, 22 forthe cutting tool 10 and only the assembly with the stripping disk 59 ofthe stripping tool 50 can be adjusted normally to the glass sheet 2 inorder to place the stripping disk 59 on the glass sheet 2 or to lift itoff. In this embodiment, the stripping tool 50 for each pivoting motionof the cutting wheel 12 of the cutting tool 10 is pivoted at the sametime, but does not act on the glass sheet 2 with the stripping tool 50raised, so that this pivoting motion is not inherently disruptive.

In summary, one embodiment of the invention can be described as follows:

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a horizontal plate 7 on which acutting tool 10 and a stripping tool 50 are mounted is attached to thecarriage 4. The cutting tool 10 has a cutting wheel 12 which can beplaced on the top of the glass sheet 2 or lifted off it via its holdingdevice 13 by a hydraulic motor 14 in the direction of the double arrow15. The cutting wheel 12 can turn additionally around an axis 17 whichis normal to the glass pane 2 as is symbolized by the ring arrow 16.This turning is necessary to align the cutting wheel 12 such that it iscorrectly aligned for execution of scoring (X cuts, Y cuts, etc.). Inaddition, the cutting wheel 12 can be continuously turned when scoringlines for cuts which are not straight, therefore cuts of any curvature(for shaped panes), are to be produced.

For pivoting of the cutting wheel 12 this shaft 18 is connected to agear wheel 20 with which a pinion 21 meshes which is driven by a motor22 in order to turn the cutting wheel 12 via its shaft 18 into thealignment which is correct for the respective scoring process, or tocontinuously turn the cutting wheel 12 when curved or circular cuts areto be made.

The stripping tool 50 of the embodiment of the device as claimed in theinvention as shown in FIG. 3 has a stripping disk 59 which can be turnedaround an axis 60 which is parallel to the plane of the glass sheet 2.To do this a motor 82 which sets the stripping disk 59 into rotation ismounted on the support 80 for the stripping disk 59.

The support 80 for the stripping disk 59 is attached to a shaft 52 whichcan be turned (ring arrow 62) and raised and lowered (arrow 54) in aguide 84 which is attached to the horizontal part 7 of the carriage 4.For raising and lowering the stripping disk 59 of the stripping tool 50there is a hydraulic motor 53. Thus, the stripping disk 59 can be placedon a glass sheet 2 for a stripping process, or when not in use can belifted off the glass sheet 2.

To turn the stripping tool 50 in the direction of the ring arrow 62,there is a sprocket wheel 86 which meshes with a pinion 88 which sits onthe shaft of the drive motor 22. The sprocket wheel 86 is connected tothe shaft 52 of the stripping tool 50 via a detachable coupling 90. Ifthe coupling 90 is engaged, the stripping tool 50, especially thestripping disk 59, is pivoted by the drive motor 22, as has beendescribed above for the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2. When the coupling90 is released, the gear wheel 86 does turn, but the shaft 52 and thusthe stripping disk 59 are not pivoted. This is especially important whenthe cutting wheel 12 is to be swivelled to an extent, for example bymore than 180°, which cannot be done for the stripping tool 50,especially the assembly of the support 80, the motor 82 and thestripping disk 59, for reasons of space/construction, so that theso-called assembly must be separated from the gear wheel 86 by releasingthe coupling 90. These swivelling movements of the cutting wheel 12 bymore than 180° arise for example when inherently closed, for exampleround, cuts are to be made, since in these cuts the scoring process isnot to be interrupted.

On the cutting bridge 4 of a device for dividing glass sheets 2 intopatterns (glass cutting table) there are a cutting tool 10 to which apivoting drive 20, 21, 22 is assigned, and a tool 50 for removing acoating from a glass sheet 2 with a stripping disk 59. The strippingtool 50 is mounted on the carriage 4 to be able to pivot around an axis61 which is normal to the glass sheet 2. When the tool 50 is being usedto strip a glass sheet 2 along the division outline, therefore in thearea on either side of scoring lines which have been or are to beproduced in a glass sheet 2, the stripping disk 59 is placed on thesurface of the glass sheet 2 and the tool 50 is pivoted around the axis61 which is normal to the glass sheet 2 using the pivoting drive 20, 21,22 for the cutting tool 10 in order to correctly align the strippingdisk 59. The coupling between the pivoting drive 20, 21, 22 for thecutting tool 10 with the tool 50 for stripping can be alternatelyreleased so that when the glass sheet 2 is being scored using thecutting tool 10, the stripping tool 50 is not moved at the same time.

FIG. 4 shows the axis (17) of the cutting tool (10), the axis (61) ofthe stripping tool (50) and the axis of the shaft of the motor (22)being located in the corner points of a triangle.

1. A device for cutting and stripping of a glass sheet (2), comprising:a carriage (4); a support surface (1); a cutting tool (10); a strippingtool (50), the support surface (1), the cutting tool (10) and thestripping tool being located on the carriage (4), the stripping tool(50) being attached via an arm (56) to a shaft (52) which is mounted onthe carriage (4) to be able to pivot around an axis (61) normal to thesupport surface (1); a cutting bridge (3) along which the carriage (4)is movable, the cutting bridge (3) being movable along the supportsurface (1); a rotary drive (20, 21, 22) for a cutting wheel (12)assigned to the cutting tool (10), the cutting wheel (12) being able topivot around the support surface (1) on a normal axis (17), the normalaxis (17) around which the cutting wheel (12) can pivot being placed ata distance so that the stripping tool (50) is connected to the rotarydrive (20, 21, 22) of the cutting tool (10) by a coupling; and a pinion(55) to which the shaft (52) is assigned, the pinion (55) beingadjustable in order to selectively engage the pinion (55) to a gearwheel (20) of the pivoting rotary drive (20, 21, 22) of the cutting tool(10), and the pinion (55) can be pivoted, coupled to the gear wheel(20), or decoupled by adjustment in one direction parallel to the axis(61) around which the stripping tool (50) can be pivoted.
 2. The deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling between the rotary drive(20, 21, 22) of the cutting tool (10) and the stripping tool (50) can bereleased.
 3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the strippingtool (50) on the carriage (4) is adjustable in the direction (54) normalto the glass sheet (2).
 4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein thestripping tool (50) on the carriage (4) is adjustable in a direction(54) normal to the glass sheet (2).
 5. The device as claimed in claim 4,wherein there is a linear motor (53, 75) for adjusting the strippingtool (50).
 6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pinion (55)is mounted fixed on the shaft and the shaft with the stripping tool (50)attached here can be adjusted in the direction of the axis (61) normalto the support surface (1) by a linear motor (53).
 7. The device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the pinion (55) can be moved using a linearmotor (70) along the shaft (52), but is rotationally coupled to theshaft (52).
 8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a strippingdisk (59) is driven by a motor (57) via an angular gear (58).
 9. Thedevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is a coupling (90) betweenthe shaft (52) of the stripping tool (50) which bears a stripping disk(59) and a gear wheel (86) which is rotationally driven by a motor (22).10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the gear wheel (86) mesheswith a pinion (88) located on the shaft of the motor (22).
 11. Thedevice as claimed in claim 10, wherein on the shaft of the motor (22)there are a pinion (21) for the gear wheel (20) of the rotary drive (20,21, 22) of the cutting tool (10) and another pinion (88) for the gearwheel (86) of the stripping tool (50).
 12. The device as claimed inclaim 9, wherein the shaft (52) which bears the stripping disk (59) canbe raised and lowered (arrow 54) perpendicularly to the plane of theglass sheet (2).
 13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein asupport (80) is mounted on the shaft (52) and the stripping disk (59) ispivotally mounted in the support and wherein the support (80) bears adrive motor (82) for the stripping disk (59).
 14. Device as claimed inclaim 9, wherein the axis (17) of the cutting tool (10), the axis (61)normal to the support surface (1) and an axis of a shaft of the motor(22) are located in corner points of a triangle.
 15. The device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein a stripping disk (59) of the stripping tool(50) can be pivoted by 180°.
 16. The device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the pinion (55) is mounted fixed on the shaft and the shaft withthe stripping tool (50) attached here can be adjusted in the directionof the axis (61) normal to the support surface (1) by a linear motor(53).
 17. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pinion (55) canbe moved using a linear motor (70) along the shaft (52), but isrotationally coupled to the shaft (52).
 18. A device for cutting andstripping of a glass sheet (2), comprising: a carriage (4); a supportsurface (1); a cutting tool (10); a stripping tool (50), the supportsurface (1), the cutting tool (10) and the stripping tool being locatedon the carriage (4), the stripping tool (50) being attached via an arm(56) to a shaft (52) which is mounted on the carriage (4) to be able toswing back and forth around an axis (61) normal to the support surface(1); a cutting bridge (3) along which the carriage (4) is movable, thecutting bridge (3) being movable along the support surface (1); a rotarydrive (20, 21, 22) for a cutting wheel (12) assigned to the cutting tool(10), the cutting wheel (12) being able to swing back and forth aroundthe support surface (1) on a normal axis (17), the normal axis (17)around which the cutting wheel (12) can swing back and forth beingplaced at a distance so that the stripping tool (50) is connected to therotary drive (20, 21, 22) of the cutting tool (10) by a coupling; and apinion (55) to which the shaft (52) is assigned, the pinion (55) beingadjustable in order to selectively engage the pinion (55) to a gearwheel (20) of the rotary drive (20, 21, 22) of the cutting tool (10),and the pinion (55) can swing back and forth, coupled to the gear wheel(20), or decoupled by adjustment in one direction parallel to the axis(61) around which the stripping tool (50) can swing back and forth. 19.The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the coupling between therotary drive (20, 21, 22) of the cutting tool (10) and the strippingtool (50) can be released.
 20. The device as claimed in claim 18,wherein the stripping tool (50) on the carriage (4) is adjustable in adirection (54) normal to the glass sheet (2).